Rifle with integral breech bolt and magazine



May 13, 1952 R. G. DAVIDSON RIFLE WITH INTEGRAL BREECH BOLT AN'DMAGAZINE 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Dec. 20, 1949 IN VEN TOR. Rouzr G.Dm//Dso/v May 13, 1952 R. G. DAVIDSON RIFLE WITH INTEGRAL BREECH BOLTAND MAGAZINE Filed Dec. 2o., 1949 IN VEN TOR.

. .DH VID 50N Rofgr G May 13, 1952 R. G. DAVIDSON RIFLE WITH INTEIGRALBREECH BOLT AND MAGAZINE 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed Dec.

Patented May 13, 1952 RIFLE WITH INTEGRAL BREECH BOLT AND MAGAZINERobert G. Davidson, Chicopee Falls, Mass., assignor to NobleManufacturing Co. Inc., Haydenville, Mass., a corporation ofMassachusetts Application December 20, 1949, Serial No. 134,015

10 Claims.

provision ofa unitary breech-bolt and magazine tube, together withmanrally-operated cam mechanism for moving these parts to firing and toreloading positions.

Other features of my invention relate to arrangements and combinationsof parts which will be hereinafter described and more particularlypointed out in the appended claims.

l A preferred form of the invention is shown in the drawings, in whichFig. l is a partial side elevation of a rifle embodying my invention and`cocked for iiring;

Fig. 2 is a view .similar to Fig. 1 but partly in section and showingthe parts after firing;

Fig. 3 is a view similar to Fig. 2 but with certain parts in reloadingposition;

Fig. 4 is an enlarged side elevation, partly in Vsection and showing theunitary breech-bolt `and magazine tube and certain associated parts;

Figs. 5 and 6 are partial bottom views, looking in the direction of thearrows 5 and 6 in Fig. 4;

Fig. '7 is a side elevation of the inner magazine tube, partly insection and showing the springloperated feeding plunger;

Fig. V3 is a partial planview, lpartly in section, on theline 8-8 inFig. 4;

Fig. 9 is a side elevation of a iiring pin;

Fig. 9El is an end view thereof;

Fig. 10 is a side elevation of a lifter lever to be described;

Fig. 10L is an end view thereof;

Fig. 11 is a plan view of a cartridge-retainer;

Fig. 112L is a side view thereof;

Fig. 11b is an end view thereof;

Fig. l2 is an enlarged partial side elevation, similar to Fig. 1 butshowing certain parts in section and other parts in different positions;

Fig. 13is a plan view of an action housing and certainassociated parts;

Fig. 14 is a side elevation of a spring to be described;

Fig. 14a is an end view thereof Fig. 15 is a side View of a safetylever;

Fig. 15a is an end view thereof;

Fig. 15b is a plan view thereof;

Fig. 16 is a partial side elevation of the unitary breech-bolt andmagazine tube; and

Fig. 17 is a side view of a release lever.

Referring to the drawings, my improved rifle comprises the usual stock20 (Fig. 1), barrel 2|, breech-bolt receiver 22 assembled with saidbarrel, trigger 23, trigger-guard 24, sear 25 (Figs. 12 and 13) andsafety lever 26.

The sear 25 is mounted on `a iixed pivot 21 :and is swung upward toengaging position by a spring 28 (Figs. 13 and 14) which has a loop 29underly'mg the sear. The sear engages an annular shoulder at the rearend of a hammer 3l) (Fig. 12) which is slidable in the receiver 22. Thesear holds the hammer in normally rearward position, with the helicalhammer spring 32 (Fig. .12) in compression.

As the trigger 23 is pulled and' moves clockwise, the upward extension33 of the trigger engages a depending portion 34 or" the sear and swingsthe Sear downward, thus releasing the hammer.

An offset portion 35 of the spring 28 engages a rear face of thetrigger, thus tensioning the searengaging loop 29 and keeping thetrigger in contact with the sear.

The safety lever ze (Figs. 12, 1s and 15) is pivoted at It@ in an actionhousing 44 and has a depending arm iii adapted to overlie the shoulderG5 (Fig. 12) on the trigger 23 when the safety lever 2% is in rearposition, as shown in full lines in Fig. 12. The safety lever 26 has anoffset knurled portion 21 for convenient manual operation. The triggerY23 is pivoted at :i8 in the action housing M.

An adjustable rear sight i9 (Fig. 12) is mounted on the barrel 24 in anyusual manner. A springretaining knob 5I (Fig. 12) is secured in the rearend of the receiver 22 by a cross pin 52 andhas a forwardly extendingpin 53 which centers the hammer spring S2.

The parts thus far described are of more or less usual construction andin general do not embody the present invention.

I will now describe my improved magazine and reloading mechanism. Abreech-00H55 (Figs. 12 and 16) is permanently assembled with a magazinetube 5l which extends loosely through an annular support 51a (Fig. l)securedA to the under side of the barrel 2l and toward the front endthereof .l The parts 55 and 51 forma unitary structure which is bothswingable and slidable relative to the support 51a.

The magazine tube 5l is preferably a force fit in the front end of thebreech-bolt 55 (Figs. 8 and 16) and houses an inner magazine tube 5S 3(Fig. 7) having a knob 59 at one end. 'I'he inner tube 59 and knob 59are removably retained in the tube 5l by a bayonet lock connection asshown in Fig. 5.

A cartridge follower 60 and spring 5l are housed in the inner 4tube 58,and the rear end of the tube is slightly contracted as indicated at 53(Fig. 7) to prevent escape of the slightly enlarged and ball-shaped end64 of the cartridge follower 59.

A crosspin 65 (Fig. 7) retains the knob 59 in the end of the inner tube58, thus confining the spring 6|. The crosspin 55 also functions as partof the bayonet lock. The outer magazine tube 51 (Fig. 4) has an opening56 in itsllower side, through which cartridges C may be inserted whenthe inner tube 58 is released and drawn forward beyond the slot 65.

The receiver 22 (Fig. 12) has an opening '|0 in its upper face, whichopening provides a rear shoulder H which abuts the rear end of thebreech-bolt 55. The breech-bolt 55 is provided with a cam slot l2 (Figs.12 and 16) into which projects a pin 13 fixed in the rear end of a slidebar '|4 (Fig. 12)

The front end of the bar I4 is Welded or otherwise secured to asegmental block I5 (Fig. 2), which in turn is seated in a segmentalaxial recess in a manually-movable operating member or fore end 'Il andwhich may be secured therein by screws '|8. The sides of the operatingmember 'H may be grooved to provide a satisfactory grip. A bushing 15(Fig. 2) guides the front end of the operating member.

As the operating member 1l and slide bar i4 are moved forward after afresh cartridge is presented, the pin 13 in the bar 74 presses againstthe front inclined wall of the cam slot 12 (Fig. 16) and tends to liftthe breech-bolt. As soon as the breech-bolt clears the receiver shoulder1|, the breech-bolt is lifted by the pin 13 and the pin enters thehorizontal arm of the slot, thus locking 'the breech-bolt in raised andfiring position.

.lever 26 has been released. The trigger will then depress the sear 25and thus release the hammer 30. The hammer 30 then moves forward andstrikes the firing-pin 79 (Fig. 9) loosely held in a recess in thebreech-bolt 55 by a crosspin 19a (Fig. 4) and positioned rearward by alight coil spring '|9c.

The ring-pin has a reduced end portion 19h (Fig. 9) which is alignedwith a recess 35a (Fig. 12) in the front end of the hammer 30 so long asthe breech-bolt is in lowered or rearwardly withdrawn position. In suchposition, therefore, the ring-pin cannot be moved by the hammer.

When the breech-bolt 55 is in raised and firing position, however, thefiring-pin is out of alignment with the recess 30a, and a rim portion ofthe hammer 30 will be aligned with the pin 79. Thus a cartridge can beiired only when the breech-bolt is fully in firing position.

As the operating member is moved rearward to reloading position, the pin73 (Fig. 12) will enter the upwardly inclined rear end of the cam slot12 and will cause the breech-bolt 55 to move downward to clear thereceiver shoulder 1| (Fig. 3). The breech-bolt 55 will thereafter bemoved rearward to the loading position shown in Fig. 3. The pin 'I3 hassubstantial lost motion in the slot '12.

A lifter lever (Figs. 4, 8 and 10) is pivoted at 8| (Fig. 8) in anupright slot 82 in the breechbolt 55. The lever 80 has an end .portion83 (Fig. 10) which underlies the cartridge C (Fig. 4) which is inloading position, and the end portion 83 has a segmental end face 33a;which limits rearward movement of the next cartridge until the lifterlever is returned to lowered position. This is effect-ed by engagementof a depending arm 84 with the front end of a slot 85 (Fig. 13) in thelower face of the action housing 44 as the breech-bolt 55 is movedforward to the ring position shown in Fig. l2.

As the breech-bolt is shifted downward and rearward from the positionshown in Fig. 2 to the position shown in Fig. 3, the arm 84 is engagedby the rear edge of the slot 85 and the end portion 83 of the lever ispushed abruptly upward to raise the new cartridge C as indicated inbroken lines in Fig. 4 and to simultaneously eject the empty cartridgeC2.

During this movement, the end flange of the cartridge C is held by aretainer 86 (Fig. 11) which is mounted on the breech-bolt 55 (Fig. 16)In its lower part, the breech-bolt 55 (Fig. 8) has a recess 81 toreceive a cartridge from the magazine inner tube 58, and has lugs 88overlying said recess and aligned with the inturned ends 89 of theretainer 85. The lugs 88 and the retainer -ends 89 successively engagethe end flange or rim of the new cartridge and guide the cartridge inits upward movement. The retainer is preferably of spring steel and theresiliently mounted inturned ends 89 retain the raised cartridge inloading position until it is advanced and enters the rear end of thebarrel 2 I.

As the breech-bolt is thereafter moved forward to the position shown inFig. 1, the lifter lever 80 is moved downward as above described to theposition shown in Fig. 2, so that the next cartridge C may be pushedinto loading position by the cartridge follower B0 and spring 6|.

A locking lever 90 (Fig. 17) is pivoted on the stud 21 (Fig. 12) in theaction casing 44, which also provides a pivot for Vthe sear 25. Thelever 90 has a depending arm 9| which extends downward through a slot inthe action casing 44 and stock 20, and also has a rearwardly extendingoffset arm 92 which underlies a pin 23a in the trigger 23. At itsforward end, the lever 90 has a shoulder 94 and a side flange 05.

The sear spring 28 previously described has an arm 95 (Figs. 12 to 14)which engages the rear end of the side flange 95 and tends to move thelever 90 anti-clockwise to locking position, with the shoulder 94 of thelever raised into the path of the slide bar 'I4 as shown in Fig. 12. Theupper front corner of the shoulder 94 is beveled as shown at 94a andexerts a cam action on the rear end of the slide bar 14, thus insuringthat the bar 74 and breech-bolt 55 are moved to their extreme forwardpositions before the trigger can be operated.

The locking lever 90 may be released by manual rearward movement of thelever arm 9| to allow rearward manual movement of the slide bar '|4 andbreech-bolt 55 when the hammer 30 is in "cocked or rear position. Thetrigger 23 is then S 1bolt-5E.Whenthe hammer (il)V is released and movesforward tostrike` thel firing-pin, the end of the-hammerpresses'against-thearm I0 l `of the spring; -HlllA and places Ythespring under `tension to depressthe lockingA lever 90i'as'1shown in-'Fig3. This spring action is strong enough to lover-- comethef-searfspring-281 vand thus allows the slidey barr T4 to be movedI 'backward manuallylby the vopera'ting'n'xember 11 to eject the emptycartridge C2 and topresent afresh cartridge C in loading position.

When the locking lever 90 is thus moved downward to free the slide bar14 and breech.- bolt 55, the back projection 92 of the locking lever 90moves up under the trigger pin 23a., so that the sear cannot bedepressed and the ham- `merreleased while the breech-.bolt :isout offiring position. The trigger is moved anti-clocki wise by the spring2.8. actingthrough` the cam surface 20a of thesear.

The-small loop spring I llFig. 2) under @the rifle v.barrelengages thetop of the fresh cartridge and. holds it down in horizontal positionwhen rst pushed into the `breech-bolt. This prevents the followingcartridge from vwedging under the point of the fresh cartridge andlifting it out of alignment.

'Operation The specification operation of the several sepa- Y ratefeatures of the invention has been setforth in connection with thedescriptions thereof, but the general operation of the invention maybebriefly described as follows:

Assuming that the inner magazine tube 58 contains cartridges and thatthe gun is. notl loaded, lthe operator grasps the operating member 11and slides said member, together with the magazine tube and otherattached parts, rearposition in the barrel 2 I, and the breech-bolt isthen locked in cartridge firing position.

The trigger 23 may then be pulled and .will depress the sear and thusrelease the hammer 30. The hammer 30 then moves forward and strikes thefiring pin 19 (Fig. 9). When the breech-bolt 55 is raised and in firingposition, the firing pin is out of alignmentrwith the recess 30a in thehammer 30, andrthe rim portion of the hammer 30 will be aligned with thepin 19. Thus the inserted cartridge may be fired by a blow on the firingpin 19.

Giving consideration to the detailed construction and operation of myimproved magazine rifle, it will be evident that the constructioninvolves relatively few and simple parts and that the reloadingoperation may be easilylearned and quickly performed. I also provideimproved safety features which make premature-,or accidental dischargeof the rifle substantially impossible.

Having thus described my invention and the advantages thereof, I do notwish to be limited to the details herein disclosed, otherwise than asset forth in the claims, but what I claim is:

l. In a magazine rifle, a breech-bolt receiver,

a riiie barrel fixed thereto, ysaid'receiver having alongitudinalpassage with .a frontztopopening and having an abrupt rear shoulder'.for' 'said opening,'a breech-boltslidabl'e longitudinally? andswingablevertically in said passage and opening, a magazine tube fixedtov said breech-.bolt and swingable therewith, and la vmanual operatingmember effective to give said breech-boltandtube ass embly-successiveforward and upward movements to ring position.

2. The combination in amagazine rifle as set forth in claim l, in whichthe breech-bolt and magazinev tube assembly is swingable relative to theurifle. barrel near the front end of said magazine tube and -is also`slidable relative to. :said

barrel. v

'3. The. combination ina magazineirifie las 'set forth in claim 1,in'which the operatingmembe is effective to give the breech-bolt andmagazine tube assembly a forward movement and la succeeding-upwardswinging movement and torthereafter "look said breech-'bolt in raisedand firing position, all by a single continued forward movement of saidoperating member.

4. The combination in a magazine rifle ascset forth in claim 1, in whichthe operating member is effective to give the breech-bolt and magazinetube assembly a forward movement and a succeeding upward swingingmovement and to thereafter lock 'said breech-bolt in raised firingposition, all by operation of a single cam connection between saidoperating member and said bolt and tube assembly.

5. The combination ina magazine rifle as set forth in claim 1, in whichthe operating memberl is effective t0 give thev breech-bolt and magazinetube assembly a forward movement and a succeeding upward swingingmovement and to thereafter lock said breech-bolt in raised firingposition, all by operation nf a single cam connection between saidoperating member and said bolt and tube assembly, and in which said camconnection includes coacting parts on said member and assembly whichhave substantial lost motion relative to each other.

6. The combinationin a magazine rifle as set forth in claim 1, in whichthe breech-bolt has a retainer of resilientsheet metal mounted thereonand having inwardly projecting jaws to engage the rim of a cartridge.

7. The combination in a magazine rie as set forth in claim 1, in which alifter lever in said breech-bolt is engaged by fixed surfaces as saidbreech-bolt is moved longitudinally and is swung abruptly upward at theend of the rear movement of the breech-bolt to eject an empty cartridgeand to raise a fresh cartridge to firing position, and in which saidlever has a segmental end surface to engage andv hold the succeedingcartridge until the raised cartridge has been loaded and red.

8. In a magazine rie, a breech-bolt receiver, a rifle barrel fixedthereto, said receiver having a longitudinal passage with a front topopening and having an abrupt rear shoulder for said opening, abreech-bolt slidable longitudinally and swingable vertically in saidpassage and opening, a magazine tube xed to said breech-bolt andswingable therewith, a manual operating member eiective to give saidbreech-bolt and tube successive forward and upward movements to firingposition, a firing-pin in said breech-bolt having a reduced rear endportion, a hammer slidable in said receiver but out of direct alignmentwith said firing-pin when the pin is in ring position,

said hammer having an annular portion engaging said pin, and said hammerhaving an axial end recess to receive the reduced end of said pin whenthe. breech-bolt is in cartridge-receiving position.

9. In a magazine rifle, a breech-bolt receiver, a rifle barrel fixedthereto, said receiver having a longitudinal passage with a fronttop'opening and having an abrupt rear shoulder for said opening, a:breech-bolt slidable longitudinally and swingable vertically in saidpassage and opening, a magazine tube 'xed to said breech-bolt andswingable therewith, a hammer, a manual operating member eilective togive said breech-bolt successive forward and upward movements to firingposition, a locking lever for said breechbolt, a spring to move saidlocking lever to locking position, and a stronger spring `engaged bysaid hammer and eiective to unlock said breech-bolt as the rifle is redand as the trigger is released and returns to normal position.

10. In a magazine rie, a breech-bolt receiver, a rie barrel xed thereto,said receiver having a longitudina1 passage with a front top opening andhaving an abrupt rear shoulder for said opening, a breech-bolt slidablelongitudinally and swingf 8 ablevertically in said passage and opening,a magazine tube xed to said breech-bolt and swingable therewith, ahammer, a manual operating member effective to give said breech-boltsuccessive forward and upward movements to ring position, a lockinglever for said breechbolt, a spring to move said locking lever tolocking position, a stronger spring engaged by said hammer and eiectiveto unlock said breech-bolt as the rifle is red, and said trigger havinga portion which engages and holds said ,locking lever in lockingposition when said trigger is out of normal position.

ROBERT G. DAVTDSON.

- REFERENCES CITED The following references Vare of record in the le ofthis patent:

UNITED sTArEs PATENTS Horan June 17, 1947

